Improvement in railroad-rail joints



G. PALMER.

RAILROAD RAIL-JOINT. No.182,848. Patented o.@t.s,1s7e.

' INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEYS.

MPETERE. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

Unrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE PALMER, OF LITTLESTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-RAIL JOINTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 182,848, dated October 3, 1876; application filed April 19, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE PALMER, of Littlestown, in the county of Adams and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fish-Joints for Railroad-Rails; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The nature of. my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of fish plates for railroad-rails in such a manner as to be more firmly secured to the railroad-rails, and furnish a more certain support to the joints of abutting rails, thereby preventing injury thereto from the passage of cars and locoinotives over such rails, and causing vibration of the same and consequent abrasion or fracture of the points or ends of the rails.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a side view. Fig. 2 is a top view; Fig. 3, section on 0000, and Fig. 4, section on y y, Fig. 2.

The fish-plate is constructed in such a manner as to fit into and conform to the shape of the rail between the tread and flange thereof, and a return flange upon such fish-plate receives the flange of the railroadrail. Upon each end of such fish-plates (there being one on each side of the railjoint) a projecting horizontal lip is formed, of sufficient length to allow one or more bolts to pass through it on the outside of the flanges of the rail. These fish-plates are secured together by bolts and nuts, the bolt passing through each fish-plate and the rail. plates are shorter than its length upon the upper side of the same, to the extent of the lips formed thereupon, which difference in length leaves a shoulder on each end of the return flange of the fish-plate below the rail.

Two end plates are constructed, in length equal to the width of the rail and lips of the fish-plates, when secured in the manner above The return flanges of the fishdescribed. These plates abut upon the ends.

of the return flanges of the flsh'platcs, under the railroad-rail, and are bolted to the lips formed upon the ends of the fish plates. A central plate is also applied and bolted through both the fish-jointand the flange of the railroad-rail. This plate has formed upon its upper side, and being part and parcel of the plate, a projection, or width and thickness, that fills up the space between the two return flanges of the fish-plates, and upon which the 'points of the railroad-rail can rest.

When the plates are applied as herein described, and suitably secured and bolted, they prevent, in a great degree, the vibration of the railroad-rails when trains-are passing over them, and consequent injury and wear of such rails.

In the drawings, A A represent the railroad rails; B B, the. fish plates; B B, the lips formed upon the endsof the same; 0 O, the under cross-plates, bolted to the lips B B, and O the central cross-plate, having formed upon it the thickened portion G filling the,

space between the return flanges of the fishplate, as herein described. 1 and 2 are the shoulders formed upon the flanges of the fishplate, on the under side of the rail, against which the cross-plates O G abut. Layers of rubber or other elastic material may be interposed between the said cross plates and the bottom of the railroad-rail, if desired.

'What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the cross-plate G with its projection G (filling the space between the return flanges of the fish-plate,) and the fishplates B B and rails. A A, in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE PALMER.

Witnesses:

B. FIJAMES, JOHN W. FILLING. 

